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Magistrates’ are unpaid, aside from travel allowances, but volunteer in the knowledge their sacrifice helps uphold a British tradition established more than 600 years ago.

Larry Collier, chairman of the Greater Manchester Bench, said: “I have a vested interest in securing the appointment of the right number and quality of magistrates to the bench to ensure the demands of the work of the court can be dealt with.

“Any bench of magistrates should, in its make-up, reflect the diversity of the community it serves.

“The work undertaken by magistrates is important to the community and can be both demanding and interesting.

“At times the decisions you make as a magistrate can have far reaching consequences on the lives of defendants.”

Aged 44, single and impeccably dressed in a white blouse and black trousers, Sarah Florendine does not fit the stereotype of a magistrate.

Supreme confidence - but not arrogance - is the impression she leaves.

Sarah Florendine

She clearly has the right stuff to deal with defendants. Sarah is socially aware, a skilled communicator, mature and has a sound temperament.

She sits a minimum of 26 times a year, dealing with crimes ranging from uninsured driving and blue badge fraud to serious assaults, domestic violence, robbery, dangerous driving and possession of class A drugs.

A shake-up of the courts in Greater Manchester means she no longer presides at the now closed Salford Magistrates’ in Bexley Square - the scene of Coronation Street judicial dramas, as well a real life ones.

Its Court Number One saw Les Battersby jailed for six months for punching a policeman who was dating his wife Janice.

Deidre Barlow also stood in the dock of the same wood-panelled ornate court as she was sent down for 18 months for fraud, a sentence which triggered the national campaign ‘Free The Weatherfield One’.

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Sarah now sits at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court in the city centre and has served for nine years.

Though her sessions are often less dramatic than tense Corrie court scenes, Sarah - and the 850 magistrates in the region - are a vital part of a justice system, which serves a population of 2.8 million.

The region now has five courthouses - in Bolton, Manchester, Stockport, Tameside and Wigan.

Magistrates sit as a bench of one, two or three depending on the court and jurisdiction, which mainly covers crime, youth crime and family issues.

Sarah trained as a solicitor and now works in HR and employment law.

Her journey to the bench started as schoolgirl in Anglesey.

Tameside magistrates' court

“When I was 15, I told school I wanted to do law and they put me in the local magistrates’ court,” she said.

“I had two weeks of sitting there going ‘wow, this is amazing’. I always thought the job looked really cool.

“I put in an application and it took 18 months to process. I had two interviews and after being accepted there were a few training sessions, where you are monitored.

“When being assessed you are asked what makes you angry and what would effect you.

“They try to check that you are not completely barking and that you don’t have any bias. They are very strict.

“You have to be sensible, of good character and quite calm.

“You will have personal feelings - I am not inhuman - but to degree you have to keep your emotions in check.

“Having three people on the bench gives balance to decision-making. The chair doesn’t override the two wingers, it is whatever the majority opinion is.

“It is difficult sometimes not to laugh. When someone has been drunk and disorderly for example and you have to listen to straight-faced and polite prosecutor repeat the bad language they used.

“But you can’t smile, it’s really not on.”

Stockport Magistrates Court (Image: Simon Pendrigh)

As well as low-level cases of drunks, littering and pooches left to roam without a lead, Sarah also hears harrowing cases of domestic violence.

She said: “You have to have no fear or favour and treat everyone the same.

“You can’t treat someone who appears in a suit any different from someone in a tracksuit.

“You have to have a very level playing field and treat people fairly.”

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Greater Manchester bench chairman Mr Collier said: “As a magistrate you need to demonstrate a number of key qualities and have the commitment to give up a minimum of 13 days each year for sittings - and a number of additional days for training.

“Although there are a few restrictions on who can become a magistrate - including a minimum and maximum age - we encourage applications from anybody who feels they have the qualities and commitment to be a magistrate.”

Elsewhere in Europe, lower courts operate with a single judge.

But Sarah believes the historic British tradition of local people judging fellow citizens still works.

“Lay people have life experience, which can be valuable when hearing cases,” she said.

“A lot of people can be put off from being a magistrate because of the time you have to commit, which is why many are retired.

“We need more diversity. Anyone can be a magistrate - from the age of 18 to 70. “It is very much a case of learning on the job, as sentencing guidelines change all the time.”